


visitation hours

by thingswhat



Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Ghosts, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, Kaburagi Kaede (mentioned) - Freeform, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:20:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29929887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thingswhat/pseuds/thingswhat
Summary: visitation: The act of visiting, or an instance of being visited. An encounter with supernatural beings such as ghosts.visiting hours: A designated time when visitors may come to see a person in a hospital or other institution.
Relationships: Barnaby "Bunny" Brooks Jr./Kaburagi T. Kotetsu, Kaburagi T. Kotetsu/Kaburagi Tomoe
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	visitation hours

Beeping. Rhythmic, repeating, unceasing. Soft murmurs of voices in the distance, rustling of cloth and quiet footsteps coming nearer, gettling louder, then fading again. A sharper voice, almost mechanical, repeating itself, a click, then silence. 

It was dark, and he was floating.

A sigh, and a soft, slender hand caressed his cheek. “Oh, Kotetsu, again?” A voice, fond, but sad. _Her_ voice. His heart ached; he didn’t want her to be sad. “You always did run headlong into things.”

The hand disappeared from his face. Then someone held his hand, cradled it between theirs. Smooth skin, cool. 

“I shouldn’t be surprised. You haven’t changed,” chiding, but smiling too. Smiling was better than sad. “But that’s what I’ve always loved about you, how your first thought is always to help. Rushing to rescue without a thought for yourself.

But love, you should be careful. They worry about you. They’re so sad when you’re here.”

_(didn’t want them to be sad, they should only be happy, he’d fight the whole world, save them from everything, so they’d always be happy.)_

“He’ll be here soon. And Kaede, too, later. I imagine she’ll have some things to say to you.” A giggle, “yes, lots of things. She’s such a spitfire, my girl. So like you. I’m so proud of her.” 

Lips pressed to his knuckles. “And of you. Both of you are my heroes, and you always will be.”

Silence. Just the beeping, steady, continuous. A gentle touch stroking his hand, movement, a finger delicately tracing a heart shape in his palm then closing his hand over it.

_(she’d done that since she was a schoolgirl. had done that to his other hand after sliding the ring on his finger.)_

“He’s almost here. It’s his turn now, I’ll leave you in his care.” A whisper close to his ear, another smile, “I like him.” His hand was on the bed again, nestled against crisp sheets. A kiss against his forehead. Stiff plastic scratched against his cheeks, a mask? but a kiss brushed his lips anyway. “I love you. See you later.”

Then, just floating. The darkness soft and grey. Ringing somewhere far off, ringing, then cut off, and a hushed murmur. The tap-tap of fast footsteps, rustling, growing louder, nearer. A door creak.

A sigh. “You…,” a shaky indrawn breath (his heart warmed, fluttered, _joy joy joy_ ), “you always run headlong into things, don’t you.” Someone cradling his hand, pressing it against their chest. “All this time, of course you never change.” An audible swallow, a kiss pressed to his knuckles. “Foolish, “ breathed against his skin.

Long fingers interlacing with his, grip solid, strong. “You saved them. You got them out in time. The family said to tell you how grateful they are.” A pause, a sniff, another shaky breath. “So I’ll have to say that again later, when you….” 

_(he sounded so sad, shouldn’t be sad, not ever, had spent so much of his life angry and sad and he wanted to make sure he never felt like that again. Had to make sure he never made him, them, sad ever again…_

_…oh. Oh.)_

“But I told them that’s just who you are. The person who drops everything to help. Who will do anything to rescue others, no matter the cost to themselves.” Voice tight, choked, cracking. “I just…wish you’d be careful.”

Now, just a whisper. “I need you, too. I love you.” 

_(need to make him happy, want him to only be happy, want his smile and his laugh and to never see tears in his eyes ever again_

_he won’t do this again, won’t let this happen again, he promises, he swears, he SWEARS)_

A throat clearing, voice steadier. “Kaede’s coming from the Academy. I believe she, ah,” a soft, breath of a chuckle, “wishes to discuss certain things with you.” _(he deserves it, he deserves it)_ “You deserve it.” 

Quiet again. Then a scraping, sliding noise, a low creak of a chair. His hand rests on the bed again, still held. He hasn’t let go. Feels like he’ll never let go.

Anchored. No more floating.

The hospital bed mattress is solid beneath him, a little too warmed, the sheets covering him starched stiff. Outside the room, there’s the sounds of nurses and doctors, distant conversations, the chirps of equipment, the chime of an intercom. Next to him, the beep beep beep of a heart monitor continues, and continues. Above him, a light brightening the grey, and he shifts, turns his head away from it. Kotetsu’s eyes slit open.

And there’s Barnaby, chair pulled up by the bed. His arm is streched out, reached out to Kotetsu, holding his hand. Kotetsu tries to form words, tries to squeeze his partner’s (his lover’s) hand. So weak, his hand only twitches—but Barnaby’s head shoots up with a visible gasp.

“You’re awake!” His eyes shimmer, and the hand not still occupied briefly covers his face. A deep shuddering inhale, and he breathes, “I’m so glad.” He removes his glasses, dashes away the moisture below his eyes with a knuckle, then immediately has to wipe tears away again.

“ _B-bunny._ ” Kotetsu mouths the words, manages only a hint of a croak. His hand finally squeezes Barnaby’s, just barely. He doesn’t want Barnaby to cry. He wants to say sorry over and over for worrying him yet again, wants to swear that he finally understands. Wants to promise he’ll never scare Barnaby like this ever, ever again. 

Barnaby shushes him, rests a reassuring hand on Kotetsu’s shoulder before he stands and presses the call button attached to his bed, alerting the nursing staff. Then he leans down to press a lingering kiss to his forehead, and Kotetsu’s eyes flutter closed. Opening them once more, all he sees is Barnaby smiling above him. “Welcome back,” the younger man says, eyes glimmering still.

Kotetsu feels his eyes welling also. “Love you. Love you too,” he breathes, barely audible, “Bunny….”

“I know.” He’s still holding Kotetsu’s hand, carefully, like it’s a treasure, even as a nurse enters the room, keeps their clasped hands held up to his chest, against his heart, as the nurse greets them and starts an examination. His thumb strokes Kotetsu’s palm right where Tomoe used to like to draw a heart, so many years ago. 

Eventually, exhausted, Kotetsu drowses. But he keeps holding on to Barnaby (his grip ever so slightly stronger with each passing minute), and Barnaby doesn’t let go.

**Author's Note:**

> Also posted at my tumblr, thingswhatareawesome.


End file.
